did it solve this problem? I bought my Xiaomi phone from a shady seller who tampered with it to unlock the bootloader, so that I avoid all of this. I'm probably not the only one.
Some of the AliExpress sellers use this ability to install a custom kernel that reports more RAM and Flash than is installed. Sometimes they report a higher android version number and CPU too, and if you run any popular benchmarks the results will be faked (through binary patching of the benchmark app).
Then they sell the phone as a newer/better model than it is, and most users are unaware. If you complain to AliExpress they'll tell you to run AnTuTu or Geekbench, and both of those apps will report fake results.
People do the same with flash drives and hard drives which report more storage space than available.
Scam products will always exist. What makes phones so incredibly different from laptops, desktops, hard drives, cars (where people may claim false mileage numbers), or any other product category with specs which can be faked?
And why is the solution to lock the boot loader, rather than implementing some tamper evidence system? Show a "This phone has been tampered with!" screen on boot if the boot loader has been unlocked, problem solved.
It depends on the situation: some people may be able to move back in with their parents. Better off doing this than ruining their credit rating- in three years they might be employed and trying to get a loan.
